Provost's page

A message from Provost Julie Taggart 

julie taggert portrait

February 19, 2021

Dear Students,

Registration periods for fall 2021 have been announced, and you are likely wondering what fall at CCAD will look like. It is impossible to know if we will be able to return to a normal, fully in-person experience, but at this time, we are optimistically planning that a significant majority of fall classes will meet in person. We are all looking forward to returning to campus, welcoming our newer students who haven’t yet been able to take advantage of the on-campus experience, and engaging with our community face-to-face. We remain hopeful that with the vaccine rollout underway we will be able to do this in the fall. 

As you plan for fall scheduling, you will see class identifiers in Self-Service, similar to what you saw last fall and this spring. Classes that will be delivered fully online and asynchronous can be identified by their “WEB” room assignment and an “.EL” designation in course codes (CORE1110.EL). Synchronous, remote classes are identified with “REMOTE” as the room assignment. All other classes with a building, room, and time listed will have a required in-person component on campus.  

If pandemic conditions do not allow us to offer such a large number of in-person classes, we may need to convert additional classes to remote format. On the other hand, classes currently listed as remote or online in Self-Service will not change from that format for fall. Continuing with remote instruction for these classes, which are primarily Liberal Arts and were chosen because they were the most successful in an online or remote format, allows for maximum scheduling flexibility and will allow for those of you not ready to return to campus to make some academic progress.

The Advising Office staff is available to answer questions about fall class offerings, in addition to being available to assist with registration. Visit my.ccad.edu/advising to learn more. More information about CCAD’s plans for fall 2021 will be shared before Spring Break.

Take care, 

Julie


November 19, 2020

Dear students, 

As we near Thanksgiving break and get closer to the end of the fall semester, I know you will soon begin to think more about the spring semester. In late October, Dr. Corn announced CCAD’s plans for spring 2021, including slightly increasing the number of courses requiring on-campus teaching and learning, dramatically increasing campus access for upperclass and graduate students who want it, continuing with fully online or remote learning for our first-year students, and opening more rooms in residence halls for those who need housing as well as upperclass and graduate students who want to return to Columbus for the semester.

Spring registration reopened yesterday. In this email we will share more details about what campus access will look like for those upperclass and graduate students who want it so you have time to discuss the upcoming semester with your family over break and make any changes needed to your course schedule for spring. We want all students to understand these details prior to the spring tuition deadline of Friday, Dec. 18. Campus access is contingent on students' participation in CCAD's COVID-19 testing program and required daily health checks. More information about these and other health and safety protocols for spring 2021 will be announced by Monday, Dec. 7, on CCAD Together.

General campus hours: CCAD will have modified general campus hours for the spring:  

  • Monday–Thursday: 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m. 
  • Friday and Saturday: noon–8 p.m.

Buildings available for students: Upperclass and graduate students will have access by appointment to the following buildings in the spring: Battelle Hall, Canzani Center (including Beeler Gallery), Crane Center for Design, Design Studios on Broad, Grant Lab, and Kinney Hall. Residential students will also have access to Design Square Apartments. 
 
Labs: CCAD’s labs will be open by appointment during the following times:

  • Tad Jeffrey FabLab: Monday and Wednesday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. and Friday: noon–5 p.m. 
    • Orders will be taken online. There will be a contactless process to drop off materials and pick up finished parts.
  • Print Lab: Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
    • Orders will be taken online and turned around within 24 hours.
  • Grant Lab: Monday and Wednesday: 9 a.m.–8 p.m. and Friday: noon–5 p.m.
    • Open to all upperclass and graduate students by appointment.

Campus access by appointment: CCAD spaces will be available on a reservation-only, first-come, first-served basis through the web-based program, YouCanBook.Me. Students will be able to reserve blocks of time to use study spaces, computers, shops, and other facilities. More information about how to use YouCanBook.Me will be shared prior to the spring semester on CCAD Together. Student access will include:

  • Scanners
  • Cintiqs
  • B&W printers
  • PCs and Macs (For a list of locations where these are available, click here.) 
  • Shop tools and equipment in Battelle Hall and Grant Lab
  • Sewing machines and knitting machines (FASH)
  • Darkroom (PHOT)
  • Green Screen Studio (FILM)
  • Lighting Studio (PHOT)
  • Equipment checkout (PHOT & FILM)
  • Student galleries for thesis exhibitions (coordinated through Tim Rietenbach)
  • Classroom spaces located throughout open buildings for doing homework, working on projects, or studying (For specific locations, click here.)
  • Materials Library with scanner (INTE)
  • Ceramics Lab (FINE)
  • Printmaking (FINE)
  • Jewelry (FINE)
  • Paint Booth (Kinney Hall)
  • FabLab
  • Print Lab
  • 33 Mac workstations located on the third floor of Crane
  • 19 PC with Cintiq workstations located on the second floor of Crane
  • 18 PC with Cintiq workstations located in Cloyd Family Animation Center

Classes: As previously announced, classes will continue to be offered in three different forms: hybrid (required in-person component), remote (synchronous, live virtual class meetings), and online (asynchronous, pre-recorded instruction). Students in remote and online classes will not be required to come to campus. They can successfully complete their coursework without the use of campus facilities. Students enrolled in specific hybrid classes may access campus at times noted for their course outside of the times noted above for general campus access. To view a list of hybrid classes, click here.   

Packard Library: The library will be open to students by appointment during the spring semester Monday–Friday,11 a.m.–5 p.m. to pick up materials, browse the collection, and seek assistance, but it will not be open as a study space. Contactless pickup and dropoff of library materials also will be available on campus and at many OhioLink institutions. 

Help Desk: Staff from the Help Desk will continue to offer remote virtual support for most technology needs by submitting a ticket to [email protected] or calling 614.222.6174. In addition, face-to-face services in Kinney Hall can be scheduled by appointment. Learn more here

Digital Print Lab: The Digital Print Lab will operate on a request-based model where students, faculty, and staff submit print requests via an online form. Staff from the print lab will then confirm the order and provide any costs. Once final approval is given staff will print the files and make them available for contactless pickup. Please note the Digital Print Lab will not be open for general use. More detailed information including the printing request form will be available in January. 

Health and safety protocols: CCAD will continue to follow and expand upon the health and safety protocols announced for the fall. To learn more about required daily health checks for those on campus, CCAD’s new on-campus COVID-19 testing program for spring, and more, read our public health FAQ. Additional details about these items will be announced in CCAD’s Return to Campus Plan for Spring 2021, which will be available on CCAD Together by Monday, Dec. 7. 

I hope this information provides you with some clarity on what campus access will look like for spring. All of these plans are contingent on where Ohio and the world is during this unpredictable global pandemic. CCAD will follow guidelines set by the state of Ohio regarding COVID-19 prevention, which may impact our plans for increasing campus access for upperclass and graduate students. Know that while we are looking forward to welcoming back those students who wish to return to Columbus, the experience will not resemble a typical semester. In order to do our part in slowing the spread of the virus, there will be many health and safety measures in place. 
 
Hopefully by now you have seen a survey from Academic Affairs regarding your fall semester experience in your inbox. Please take a few minutes to respond to it here by Sunday, Nov. 22. Your input will help us better understand your needs as we transition to the spring semester. 
 
Have more questions? Join us tonight, Thursday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m. EST for a special CCAD Talk for current students and families regarding the spring semester. Students, please check your inbox for details on joining via Zoom.


July 28, 2020

Anedith Nash reflections

Less than a year ago I moved into a new office and took on a new role at CCAD. That role and that office was once held by my one-time mentor, Dr. Anedith Nash. I learned this weekend that she passed away. Her impact on the college and me has been flooding back to me in the days since. 

Anedith came to CCAD in 2000 and worked with President Denny Griffth until retiring in 2011. She led us through two 10-year accreditation visits and made countless improvements throughout the college. She worked with Ric Petry to launch CCAD’s first graduate program. 

She converted Dean’s Council to Academic Council, allowing for greater representation of disciplines and new views to be expressed about the college's direction. She initiated an annual Academic Council retreat called Many Voices.

Anedith nurtured the Student Affairs operation, supporting its substantial growth under Dwayne Todd. She was responsible for hiring Jim Voorhis and Michael Goodson as gallery directors, both of whom advanced CCAD’s role in the arts community locally, regionally, and nationally.

Her work was especially impactful for faculty. Anedith was responsible for establishing sabbaticals and formalizing the faculty search and promotion processes. She empowered Faculty Council to broaden its influence.

These were just a few of the accomplishments that Anedith shepherded, and they don’t measure up to her greatest impact, which was building morale. She celebrated achievements of others, not her own. She cheered you on and made sure that you knew she was proud. She supported good ideas and helped to advance them. She made us feel confident and hopeful.  

Anedith was especially supportive of the emerging women leaders at CCAD. When Lowell Tolstedt retired, she asked me to be Dean of Fine Arts, and by doing so, gave a woman, and a young woman at that, a chance at a position previously occupied only by men. Several other women at CCAD, who are now chairs of their respective departments, also struck up close relationships with her. During her time at CCAD a collaborative, encouraging, and interconnected group of creative colleagues flourished. 

When Anedith announced her retirement, I remember telling a younger coworker and friend how I would miss her. I said that when I achieved anything as an academic or an artist, I always thought to tell Anedith first. That friend said, “that is how I feel about you, Julie.” I couldn’t have felt more proud of the comparison. 

This week, when I return to the office—which was her office—I will reflect on Anedith Nash’s impact on CCAD. I am still at the start of my journey as the college’s Provost. I hope to emulate the woman that I admired for instilling trust, respect and building authentic relationships while getting things done. 

Read more about Anedith Nash and her significance to the CCAD community on our blog.


June 17, 2020

Welcoming students to campus for fall 2020 

While we are still working out the final details and undoubtedly will have to make some adjustments along the way, here’s what is planned for fall 2020 at CCAD.

We will offer a combination of online and hybrid learning.

You may have heard the terms “synchronous learning” and “asynchronous learning.” Here’s what that means:

  • Synchronous learning = online or distance education that occurs in real-time. Synchronous classes allow students to interact online with faculty and fellow students in the moment, and at a specific time of day and day of the week.

  • Asynchronous learning = learning through online channels without real-time interaction. Asynchronous classes enable students to watch recorded lectures on-demand, which is particularly useful for those who may have limited access to a computer or wifi, or who may be in a different time zone. Students will still connect and share feedback with classmates and faculty through chats and discussions online.

  • Many hybrid learning models include a blend of both asynchronous and synchronous online learning. At CCAD, hybrid learning will also incorporate time in our studios and labs and in the classroom. Classes may alternate the days they meet in-person to reduce the number of people sharing a space at any given time.

  • Faculty will be asked to post all essential class materials so that students can access that information if needed. We will use our learning management system, GoStudio, as the place to go for instructors’ documentation of notes and videos, as well as other digital content. 

  • Faculty will host office hours via video conferencing.

The CCAD experience is a special experience.

  • Students choose CCAD because they want an in-person, on-campus experience, and that’s what we plan to deliver. By providing hybrid instruction, we can reduce density on campus, providing students with access to labs, studios, and places such as Packard Library while maintaining social distance practices. And while we hope we don’t have to move to remote learning again, as we did in spring 2020, should there be another mandated stay-at-home order, our online and hybrid class learning will make that transition as smooth as possible.

  • CCAD is fortunate in that we already have small class sizes, so limiting in-person classroom experiences to around 10 students by staggering meeting days and times is in keeping with our typical curriculum. 

  • Our lab and studio spaces will operate with some modifications, and the sharing of supplies, equipment, and gear will be limited. Our labs will have strict capacity limits as well.

  • If a class is converted to an online class, students will be notified so they can change classes if desired.

  • That said, we will also have an expanded selection of online courses for students who prefer them, and we plan on offering first-year students the option of taking all of their classes for the 2020–2021 academic year online. (We’ll send more details on that very soon.)

  • An email will be forthcoming about measures students and CCAD can take to lessen the risk COVID-19’s spread, including the use of masks and the practice of dedensification (that is, lowering the density)  in classrooms, labs, and studios.

We understand that matters of health, wellness, and balance go beyond COVID-19.

  • Your mental, physical, emotional, and academic needs have been top of mind as CCAD plans for fall semester, and curriculums have been designed to provide the greatest flexibility possible while mitigating the risk of virus transmission.

  • CCAD students take at least five classes per semester. We found most students are most successful if they take two online classes and three hybrid classes each semester. This balance may differ from student to student, and we cannot guarantee that your particular course load will be structured this way.

  • In the interest of better health and wellness, our curriculum emphasizing a blend of online and hybrid learning will enable you to take a break from screens and regroup.

We know that different students may have different resources and different needs.

  • Not all students have access to the same resources. To help students be successful, CCAD has study areas with wifi, as well as computer labs for students who need them.

  • Learning support will be available to help with any needed accommodations for individual students.

Students want to know where their money goes.

A common question we have received from students is, “If my class is online, why do I have to pay my full tuition?” The short answer is that the majority of our budget goes to scholarships and salaries, and those don’t change when we go remote. That said, it’s possible that students may be excused from certain fees if CCAD again moves to remote learning due to a mandated stay-at-home order.

Students want to plan their calendars.

I’m happy to report that the fall semester academic calendar will remain as planned, with the semester’s start and end dates sticking to their original dates. (That’s Monday, Aug. 24, and Friday, Dec. 11, respectively.) Unless there is a stay at home order, CCAD expects to have a Thanksgiving break and to bring students back to campus after that break. 

There’s no doubt that there will be additional information coming in the weeks to come as we prepare for the fall semester and make changes so that we may prevent the spread of the coronavirus while promoting a safe learning environment. Thanks to all for their continued flexibility, patience, and eagerness to learn and grow as students, artists, and designers as we envision a new path to learning at CCAD.


April 27, 2020

Update on spring 2020 grading

CCAD will continue to use letter grades for the spring 2020 semester. For more information on this decision, please visit this page.


April 20, 2020

CCAD is creating plans for unique learning opportunities during a unique time. COVID-19 has required us to reconsider teaching and learning with safety as our highest priority. Our planning for the 2020–2021 academic year features initiatives in Teaching, Learning, Living, Working, and Thriving. CCAD’s inclusive community is eager to welcome our newest incoming class!

Teaching. A CCAD education offers hands-on demonstrations, individual critiques, and collaborative project-based learning. Whether we meet face to face, online, or in a combination of the two, these experiences will be supported.

Learning. Supplies, equipment, and technology are critical to makers. CCAD is planning a variety of approaches to project completion to observe social distancing or remote learning.

Living. CCAD will ensure its student residents are safe by following Centers for Disease Control guidelines and Ohio Department of Health orders. And whether you live on campus or off, there will be meal options available.

Working. Personal protection equipment will be utilized and precautions will be taken to provide a clean and safe work environment for the CCAD community.

Thriving. Connect with the CCAD family in live events, whether online or on campus, that feature visiting artists, designers, and thought leaders. CCAD is proud of its robust network of student organizations and supports them whether they meet virtually or in person.

Artists and designers flourish in extraordinary times. They are problem-solvers and risk-takers. They entertain and inform. They think, do, and thrive. That is our motto at CCAD. There isn’t a better time to embody it.

Please see more at ccad.edu/publichealth.


 

About the Provost

Julie Taggart was appointed Provost in January 2020. She began her career at CCAD in 1994 when she was hired to teach drawing, painting, and color theory. She shifted her focus to administration after being appointed Chair of painting in 2002.

Taggart is an alumna of CCAD and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Syracuse University.

In addition to her work at CCAD, Taggart is on the board of the Greater Columbus Arts Council. She maintains an active studio practice and is represented by Contemporary Art Matters, contemporaryartmatters.com/.

Her paintings have been included in numerous national and international exhibitions. You can learn more about Julie Taggart online at julietaggartstudio.com/.